Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving! It is one of my most favorite holidays. Not just because of the food, football, and the fact that I got to be an Indian in all thanksgiving plays in elementary school, but mainly because for me it was a great time with family. I was so blessed growing up to share Thanksgiving with my dad's side of the family every year. We always had such a great time in Illinois hanging out together and sharing with each other how the Lord has provided for us the past year.

This year my team and I joined forces with Hot Rock cafe to have a Thanksgiving outreach for out students. Tricia made massive amounts of food that blessed us all! We had all the favs including green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatoes, bread, all kinds of desserts, and mashed potatoes which proved to be the favorite. We also had a time of open mic. Anyone could get on the mic and share what they are thankful for. Some were funny, some were serious, but regardless it was a joy to hear what our students were thankful for in their lives. One student, shared how thankful he was for his relationship with Christ and how his life had been transformed and how he prays that he will be a missionary in India one day.


Outside eating delicious food


Trying all sorts of Farang food


Mint with all the food


Tricia and Mint made an apple pie. It was quite the hit!

P'Fawn's Wedding

My first Thai Wedding! P'Fawn, former Thailand Campus Crusade for Christ Staff, got married on November 1st at Thailanna Church in Chiang Mai. It was a beautiful service that included a special message from several TCCC Staff members, as well as special music from church members. Tricia even did special music at the reception.

P'Juum designed most of flower arrangements. Since flowers are in abundance here in Thailand the total cost was less than $150! Amazingly cheap! We all guessed that the arrangements would have cost thousands of dollars in the States.

Overall it was a great wedding and an interesting insight into Christian culture in Thailand.


Mr. and Mrs. Pyson. By the way, no kissing at Thai weddings!


Team STINT with the happy couple


The TCCC family


Look at all the flowers, lace, and Thai words made out of styrofoam!

Malaysia

A few photos from our adventures in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


British Fort Cornwallis on the Island of Penang.


Town Hall


We ate at Chili's 3 times in 2 days.


Me, David, and Tricia outside the KLCC.


While visiting Kuala Lumpur, many Malays and Indians were celebrating the Hindu holiday of Deepavali or Diwali. This design on the floor of the mall is made out of colored rice grains.


The famous Petronas Towers.


The KL tower with rotating restaurant on top.


Prayer room of the National Mosque of Malaysia.

LTI Camp Update

Thanks to everyone for all of their prayers for LTI Camp. It was an all around success. I am most excited for the Mae Fah Luang students that went to the camp. Not only, were they able to build relationships with each other, they were also able to grow deeper in their walk with Christ. The messages and seminars really encouraged students to take steps of faith in sharing the gospel with each other and taking ownership for their campuses. Camp really provided some great motivation for our students to love Jesus more and more each day.

Last week we had a reunion party for the 8 students that went to the camp. The students shared with each other their ideas for reaching the campus with the gospel. It was very encouraging to see their excitement and burden for the lost. After we had the party we went to campus to pray and we had 11 students there!!! That's the most Christian students we've ever had doing anything together! I am absolutely thrilled about the momentum on our campus.

Please keep praying for the students that went to LTI camp:
Mint--our intern keystudent
A--4th yr tourism major
Maprang--4th yr tourism major, A's disciple
Rain--2nd yr english major
Eve--2nd yr english major
Marcus-4th yr tourism major, he is doing his internship at a resort in south thailand
Boss--2nd yr english major
Yok--2nd yr english major

Leadership Training Institute Coming Soon!!!

LTI is coming soon!! It starts this Friday the 17t thru the 20th. This year it will be at Inthanon Riverside Resort just south of Chiang Mai.

Pray requests::
-Safe travel to the resort
-All the details of the programs, lodging, food, logistics, etc.
-Worship team
-Speakers would communicate what the Lord wants them to
-Seminars. That the students would learn new things and be challenged
-My team is responsible for recreation time. Pray mostly for good translation and of course safety.
-On Sunday, we will go out in teams to share the gospel and talk about Jesus with the people of the surrounding communities. Pray that the students will be bold and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray that God will reveal himself to the people.
-Pray for all of the Thai staff. They have been working really hard on all of the different aspects of camp. Pray for extra energy, health, and enthusiasm.
-Pray for the STINT team that we would have extra emotional capacity since we will be speaking and listening to A LOT of Thai language for 4 days straight.
-Most importantly, pray that God would be magnified and glorified during the camp.

Thanks so much!! I'll be sure to post some pictures after camp.

End of Semester Party

Before finals started, my team & I wanted to throw a party for all of friends. The goal of the party was to de-stress and to just hang out with friends as well as to encourage our students to stay firm in their walk with God while home for October break.


June & Beer playing Wii Tennis


May & Rain doing a little boxing


Hall, Me, & Eve


Vinnie & Bask

My Birthday

My B'day was way back in September, but I just wanted to post a few pics from the event.


My team!! We had a little party with chocolate cake--it was amazing.


Tricia got me my favorite gum from America. I was really excited!


Bow & Rain singing some Avril. We went to Wiang Inn Hotel for some karaoke fun. It was a great time full of Thai and English songs.


I had a great Birthday and am so blessed to have such a great team to share my special day with.

Sidenote: the very day after my B'day Tricia and few of the girls got really sick with fever and cough, and then I got sick and then 3 more. The total count of sick friends from my celebration = 7 !! Probably due to sharing mics--gross!

Myanmar aka Burma

Well last week my visa expired, so I had to leave the country of Thailand and re-enter to get a 30 day tourist visa. The nearest boarder is Myanmar. Myanmar is not considered the safest country by any means. In fact according to the 2007 International Transparency Perceptions Index Myanmar is tied with Somalia as the most corrupt nations in the world. http://www.infoplease.com/world/statistics/2007-transparency-international-corruption-perceptions.html

But we were fine. We drove 30 minutes north to Mae Sai, parked the truck, hit up 7-eleven, and then walked through all the security to the other side of the border. We had to pay the Myanmar government 500 baht($15) to enter their country. Then we had to go into this special room where they stamped our passports, then took our pictures with a webcam, and then kept our passports until we were ready to cross back into Thailand. We went to the market where one can find a smorgasbord of pirated goods. Gucci and Prada bags, cell phones, Lacoste polos, and of course DVDs for 40 baht each($1.16). The Friends 10 season set was available for only 1000 baht! While there, I was asked about a 25 times if I wanted to buy cigarettes. Interesting, because I never saw anyone there actually smoking.


About to enter the Union of Myanmar. We're a little nervous at this point.


A tiny section of the HUGE market


The Golden Triangle is where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet.


The usual transportation.


Tricia and I being tourists.

Midterm Return

Last week all of the students had midterm tests, projects, presentations, etc. The stress level was high to say the least. My team and I are taking a Thai Conversation for Daily Life. As one would assume we practice conversation. However, our midterm test was a written exam, not in Thai letters, but in phonetics which includes tone marks. I thought it was quite a challenging test. Had I not taken Thai last year, I think I would have failed!

Today after the lesson our Ajaan said, "Ok, now you will get marks for the middle exam." How do you think this is supposed to go? She passes back the tests, we look at them, compare with our neighbor, ask questions, and then give them back to the teacher. FALSE!! Our teacher straight up said our name and then our grade! In front of the whole class! That's illegal in America right? We could not believe that the whole class could hear our grades. We even heard the grades of the students who were absent. Weird right? Since we heard all of the grades, I would like to say that about half the class failed. Not like they made a 58%, but closer to a 30%. Crazy!

Another interesting thing I learned on Monday: When families have a baby they don't name them at the hospital. They take their child to the temple to have a Buddhist monk give them a "special name." A girl named Kung shared this information with me and also told me that many, if not most, Thai people are named like this. Apparently, that's why their names are 15 letters long.

Please pray for our friend Kung and that she may come to know the one true God of the Bible. Also, pray for our classmates that will have to take the retest.

PS if you're wondering, the highest grade on the test was an 89%, and it wasn't me!

Rainy Season in Sii Chomphuu

So the rainy season. It began at the end of May and will continue through September and lighten up in October. July has been amazingly rainy! But what's crazy is we still see the sun almost everyday. These huge rain clouds come out of nowhere and then torrential rain pours down from the sky. Now, Thailand is not like Florida with predictable afternoon showers. No, the rain comes anytime of day or night. And sometimes it rains for hours, sometimes with wind, and sometimes with heat. The only thing certain is that the carrying of an umbrella is essential.



Sii Chomphuu means the color pink in Thai. We call our mubaan or neighborhood pink because not only are the outsides of our homes pink, but also ALL of the tile inside. Monochromatic color schemes are always acceptable in Thailand.

MFLU

Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand

MFLU is named after the King's Mother to show the Thai people's love and respect for the Princess Mother.

-About 5,000 students are enrolled.
-25 bachelor programs, 18 master's programs, 7 doctorate programs.
-English is the main teaching language, except for the Law program, and of course Chinese and Thai language programs.
-University colors are Red for the Princess Mother, and Gold representing unlimited prosperity
-It is located about 40 minutes north of downtown Chiang Rai
-MFU is celebrating it's 10th year this year.


Main Quad on Campus. Gotta love the landscaping!


The Princess Mother. Everytime a student or staff walk by, they wai (praying hands while bowing the head) the statue out of respect.


View from the library window.

MFU campus has a very American feel, yet uniquely Thai. For example, most of the walkways are covered, awning style, to shield from the powerful UV rays as well as rain. Also, since running AC is extremely expensive, many of the cafeterias and other large meeting places are pavilion style with fans. MFU also has excellent athletic facilities such as lighted outdoor basketball courts, indoor arena, and soccer stadium.

I really enjoy this campus and am so thankful that so many of the students speak excellent English. When praying for this campus pray for the students, staff, and the administration. Let me know if you have any more questions about the campus.

Chiang Rai, Thailand

Located in the Northernmost part of Thailand, Chiang Rai is traditionally called the "Top of Siam."

The population is approx 62,000 with about 13% being ethnic hill tribes. The hill tribes bring many different colors, languages, and cultures to the Chiang Rai province. The largest hill tribes are the Akha, Mien, Karen, Lisu, Meo, and Muser.









Lisu Hilltribe




Karen Hilltribe. They are famous for their longneck women, but in actuality only a small number of the women currently participate. Main motivation is tourist money.



Meo Hilltribe



Mien Hilltribe



Akha Hilltribe

The scenery in Chiang Rai is beautiful. In fact we often joke that we live in the jungle. My back yard is essentially a rice field surrounded by mountains. And as always, the sunsets are amazing. Chiang Rai is also famous for their pineapple. I can get a package of pre-cut pineapple for 10 baht ( 30cents).

Since Chiang Rai is a smaller town the is a lot less foreign food, but good news we have Pizza Co., Swenson's Ice Cream, Da Vinci's Italian, and Barry's Burgers. There is also a Diary Queen at the Aiport and Big C (like a Wal-Mart).

Back in Thailand!

I'm back in Thailand!! I realize that it has been 4 months since the updated blog. The month of March consisted of Thai Summer Project and Tsunami Relief work (no internet). And then, in April we had the Thai Staff Conference in Rayong. Then I was in the blessed country of America for 6 weeks re-raising funds, visiting family, shopping and of course eating!! I thoroughly enjoyed American food. I returned to Thailand May 29th and spent the first week getting settled into my new home in Chiang Rai. Class started June 9th, so we have already had a full 2 weeks on campus. In the upcoming blogs I will give you more info about Mae Fah Luang University, the town of Chiang Rai, the new team, and the students. So stay tuned!

As always, thanks so much for all of the support and prayers during this time of transition.

God Bless.

Doi Suthep

I've lived in Chiang Mai for 6 months now and I have yet to go to Doi Suthep--that's crazy. Basically Doi Suthep, Suthep Mountain, is a must see tourist attraction and very sacred to Buddhism. The mountain is located on the northwest side of the city and approximately 15 km from the city (so says the web site). Tricia and I met my friend Aaron who is a fellow alumni of Kids Across America. So up the mountain we go in a song thaw.

We reached the parking lot area and decided we would be young and active and climb the 300 stairs to the wat.

Please take note of the nagas that flank the staircase. I have no idea their significance.


Of course since we are farangs we have to pay to see the wat. We always have to pay extra!

So the main Chedi and temple area is walled. There are other random things on the outside of the temple, like a library, coffee shop, and traditional Thai dancing. As we were entering, we got really excited because we heard familiar music. Then we realized that these cute little girls were doing the same Thai dance that we learned for LTI camp. I so badly wanted to jump up there and do it with them!

Once we took off our shoes we could enter into the main area of the Chedi. The Chedi is the big gold thing in the middle of the wat. Once again, I have no idea what the purpose is, but I do know that not all wats have them. Surrounding the Chedi are tons and tons of Buddha images.



This is King. This is actually the most recent picture I've seen. Many around the city look to be about 20 or 30 years old. Pink in an enduring color for the King. It's the color he wore when leaving the hospital back in October.


Monks. It is proper to make sure your head is lower than the monks when you walk by. You cannot be taller than them. This is clearly quite hard for farangs because we are so much taller than Thai people in general.


The most Buddhas I've ever seen. This is the room where you can get a "free blessing" from the monks.


So this is how you get a "blessing". First, purchase the roses and incense. Second, walk 3 laps around the Chedi, and then kneel at the Buddha and tell him what blessings you want. Terribly sad.

"What good is an idol carved by man,
or cast image that deceives you?
How foolish to trust in your own creation-
a god that can't even talk!
What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols,
'Wake up and save us!'
To speechless stone images you say
'Rise up and teach us!'
Can an idol tell you what to do?
They may be overlaid with gold and silver,
but they are lifeless inside.
But the Lord Is in His holdy temple.
Let all the earth be silent before Him."
Habakkuk 2:18-20

God clearly says that we should have no other god before him, including idols. In America we talk about money, power, famous people, etc. as our idols, but here in Thailand there is physical, tangible idol worship occurring. I am definitely not educated enough to analyze and decipher all the aspects of Buddhism, but I do know one thing, that all these people that we saw at the mountain are searching for something. They realize that deep down inside that they are broken souls, we all are. Most likely in this country no one has told them that this brokenness is due to the fall of man, and that we have sin in our lives and the only way to overcome sin is through the redemptive blood of Jesus Christ. As sad as it was to see all these people seeking out the help of Buddha, or seeking how to do enough good deeds to reach enlightenment, it was a reminder of why I am here. Why I am giving up my right to have the comforts of the American life. Jesus. He transforms people's hearts, minds, and lives. That's why I am here, to tell this good news!!

Teens at the Movies

I just wanted to share a strange event/feeling that happened last night at the movie theater. So several of us on the team went to the Major Cineplex to see the movie Jumper, in English of course. This theater is located at Central Airport Plaza, essentially a mall that is quite westernized while still maintaining a little bit of an Asian feel. Normally at this mall one would see more foreigners than most locations in Chiang Mai, but never so many that you would actually be alarmed.

Well, after the movie was over and as we were walking out, we suddenly were surrounded by all English speakers, then we realized that they were all teenagers, maybe 15. Tricia and I were so confused...where are we? Is their mom coming to pick them up in the Yukon? Their dialogue was very American teen sounding, such as.."Dude, I cannot believe I paid 120 baht to see this sucky movie, ugh!" "OMG, he is like so HOT" "Totally!" "Let's like find the bathroom." At this point in time walking down the hallway there were no Thais to be found. I suddenly thought, did we jump back to America? Am I at the Tulsa Cinemark? It was so uncomfortable, they were so loud. It was a relief to get to the main lobby and see all of the Thais with their skinny jeans, long hair, and calm temperament. With that brief moment, we realized that it might take a few weeks to get re-accustomed to things American.

Happy Bags construction

OK, so yesterday my team and I completed the assembly of 1,000 Happy Bags! Yes all in one day we packed 1,000 clear bags with student testimonies, a 4 Laws booklet, a voucher for a free Bible, wasabi crunchy things, a twinkie like cake, chocolate covered wafers, and of course some mentos. It's a really nice looking bag. So today was some random Buddhist holiday so the campuses were closed, therefore the give away begins tomorrow!!


Boxes of snacks from Macro

Korean Winter Project

Wow--so sorry I am such a slacker and haven't updated the bog in over a month!! Of course we have been busy like always, but I've just been lazy with the blog. My apologies.

Ok so here's what's been happening. We've had some major events since January. One of the biggest being the Korean Winter Project. There were about 70 Korean college students that came to Thailand to experience college ministry internationally. They were here for only about 8 days, but man, did they work hard. They all split up to go to different campuses throughout the North Region. At our campus Rajabhat we had about 15 guys and girls. On Wednesday during the week they put on a Korean Party with sevral types of performances including traditional Korean Fan Dance and Tae Kwon Do. They really did an excellent job.

For Friday Night Light we had Korean Night with special performances also. We had about 300 students in attendance. It was quite the event. Of course we had food and afterwards we lit Loys and sent them up in the sky. Loys are from the Thai festival of Loykratong. We are so thankful for all of the contacts that were made by the Korean Project team. We had four Korean majors pray to receive Christ 2 weeks ago after they met the Korean team!

Team Christmas

Christmas Day in Chiang Mai, Thailand was so great. It was definitely not a normal Christmas, but it was still a great time of fellowship. This year I missed out on Welty family Christmas in North Carolina with everyone from my dad's side of the family. I really did miss hanging out with all of the cousins, eating ridiculously good food, and watching Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story. But even though I missed all of the good times in America, I still had a great holiday with my team. We had team dinner with our favorite 5 star chicken and all the sides. After stuffing ourselves we opened presents from our secret santa. Candice made a Happy Birthday Jesus cake so we could sing and blow out the candles. It was really cute and really good cake. Tricia then read the Christmas story in Luke. The evening concluded with an intense game of speed scrabble. I think I got last place. I always thought I was better with numbers than with words. I am very thankful that I was able to spend my Christmas overseas with a great team!


Liverpool jersey I got David--nice!


The Happy Birthday Jesus cake


Tricia reading the Christmas story. Don't worry her shirt was a gag gift from Shana--it's just for pretend!